Range Rover Sport Plug-In Hybrid Electrifies Updates For 2018

The new Range Rover Sport is transformed by technology, with a plug-in hybrid electric powertrain delivering efficiency, capability and performance like never before.

Today’s reveal follows the news that from 2020 all new Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles will have the option of electrification marking the next step on the Great British company’s electrification journey.

In addition to the new petrol-electric hybrid options, every Range Rover Sport now has an enhanced design and new consumer technology. The flagship SVR now delivers 575hp, making it the fastest Range Rover to date with a 0-60mph time of 4.3s. The latest enhancements deliver an SUV on another level of dynamic capability, with breadth of appeal and desirability like no other.

Land Rover Chief Design Officer, Gerry McGovern said: “When we started the design process with this new Range Rover Sport, it was important that we maintained its sporting prowess while evolving the exterior design. The addition of design-enabled technologies, such as our new infotainment system and the LED headlights demonstrate our drive towards ever greater desirability for the customer.”

The British-designed, engineered and Solihull-built Range Rover Sport has sold more than 732,000 since it went on sale in 2005. Its unrivalled mix of refinement and exhilarating performance has starred on TV and in movies around the world.

Jaguar Land Rover UK Managing Director, Jeremy Hicks said: “The current Range Rover Sport has performed exceptionally well in the UK market since it was introduced in 2013 selling just shy of 50,000 vehicles to date. Its perfect blend of performance, comfort, utility and off-road prowess make it the perfect all-round luxury vehicle.

“These 2018 updates make the Range Rover Sport an even more attractive proposition with CO2 emissions down to 64g/km and a 101mpg on the combined cycle coupled with new infotainment technology making life simpler. Our efficient diesel and petrol engines are our cleanest ever and remain utterly relevant today on our journey to electrification.”

The latest Range Rover Sport is Jaguar Land Rover’s first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. Badged P400e, the new model provides sustainable performance by combining a 300hp (221kW) 2.0-litre four-cylinder Ingenium petrol engine with an 85kW electric motor. The 404hp (297kW) total available power output[1] – available from the permanent four-wheel drive system – delivers 0-60mph in only 6.3 seconds (0-100km/h in 6.7 seconds) and a maximum speed of 137mph. With an impressive 640Nm of combined torque, the new powertrain mixes dynamic and sustainable performance with traditional Land Rover capability, comfort and refinement.

Thanks to its electrified powertrain, Range Rover Sport P400e emits only 64g/km on the NEDC cycle and offers an all-electric range of 31 miles (51km) without the petrol engine running. For the first time Land Rover customers can experience zero-emission, near silent off-road luxury with uncompromised all-terrain capability and allowing entry into areas with restrictions for air quality, including most congestion charging zones.

Drivers can select from two driving modes to best suit their needs:

Parallel Hybrid mode (the default driving mode) – combines petrol and electric drive. The driver can optimise battery charge or fuel economy by utilising one of two charge management functions:

SAVE function – prevents the battery charge dropping below the level which has been selected.

Predictive Energy Optimisation (PEO) function – entering a destination in the navigation system utilises GPS altitude data to intelligently optimize the switch between electric motor and petrol engine maximising fuel economy over gradients along the route.

EV (Electric Vehicle) mode – EV mode enables the vehicle to run solely on the electric motor using the energy stored in the battery, the ideal solution for quieter zero emission journeys

Land Rover’s Terrain Response 2 technology has a unique calibration to intelligently and precisely distribute torque from the electric motor, which has no creep speed and maximum torque from zero rpm, to all four wheels. This gives greater control during low-speed off-road manoeuvres, reaffirming Range Rover Sport’s outstanding breadth of capability.

Nick Collins, Vehicle Line Director, Jaguar Land Rover said: “The new Range Rover Sport strikes a compelling balance between dynamic capability, passenger comfort and efficiency. The introduction of our advanced plug-in hybrid powertrain is a watershed moment in the history of our performance SUV.”

The motor is powered by a 13.1kWh high-voltage lithium-ion battery. Land Rover engineers delivered a set-up that maximises interior space and provides ideal weight distribution. The 2.0-litre Ingenium petrol engine is longitudinally mounted, with the 85kW electric motor housed on the transmission at the centre of the vehicle along with the 7kW on-board charger. The access point for the cable is at the front of the vehicle, while the 13k.1Wh prism-shaped lithium-ion battery is mounted at the rear beneath the boot floor.

When rapid charging, a full charge can be achieved in as little as 2 hours 45 minutes at home using a dedicated or 32amp wall box. The battery can be fully charged in 7 hours 30 minutes using the 10 amp home charging cable supplied as standard.

With significant changes under the skin, the exterior has evolved to harmonise and modernise the design, making the Range Rover Sport look more dynamic without changing its essential character.

At the front, the striking new design is enabled by intelligent Matrix Pixel LED headlights, sitting alongside a redesigned grille. This is complemented by a new bumper with a more aggressive profile. The new PHEV derivative also includes access to the 7Kw on-board charger hidden behind the Land Rover badge on the right of the grille.

Inside the cabin, the new Touch Pro Duo infotainment system called ‘Blade’ by its developers, is the most advanced ever created by Jaguar Land Rover and is truly state-of-the-art. Two high-definition 10-inch touchscreens form the centrepiece of the minimalist cabin, blending a futuristic, elegant feel with an intuitive, engaging interface and unrivalled functionality.

In-car connectivity is enhanced with up to 12 power points, including two domestic plug sockets to keep laptops and other devices topped up. The introduction of the Jaguar Land Rover Activity Key also brings new levels of convenience to the Range Rover Sport, allowing customers to lock and unlock their vehicle without the need to carry a key fob – ideal for outdoor pursuits.

Introduced last year, the new Range Rover Sport features Advanced Tow Assist: takes care of the difficult counter-steering required to position trailers accurately when reversing. The driver can simply guide the trailer into the desired space using the rotary controller for the Terrain Response 2 system.

The new Range Rover Sport has been enhanced with further technologies for greater comfort and convenience:

Gesture sunblind: opened and closed by an advanced gesture control system that senses an occupant’s hand movement. All it takes to open the blind is a rearward swipe in front of the rear view mirror, and forwards to close

Those looking for the ultimate performance SUV will relish the potent new SVR derivative, which takes the Range Rover Sport into new territory. Power is up to 575hp, delivering the 0-60mph sprint in only 4.3 seconds, while bold design revisions and the increased use of carbon fibre construction make the new SVR more dramatic, faster and more agile than before.

Designed and engineered by Jaguar Land Rover in the UK, the Range Rover Sport will be produced at the company’s Solihull production facility and with deliveries from early 2018.

Arnab Chatterjee

Arnab Chatterjee is the brand manager of Performance Factory. He is responsible for maintaining and enhancing the image of Performance Factory across all platforms. An avid motorcyclist himself, often loves to get his creativity flowing on the latest happenings in the world of automobiles from all over the world

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